The Lea Valley Academy
About The Lea Valley Academy
Parent experience at The Lea Valley Academy is a mixed picture. The school is significantly oversubscribed, with 277 applications for 104 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.66. Of those, 79 first-preference families received offers. That level of demand suggests a strong local reputation, though the school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage in its data. The headteacher is Stephen Kinson, and the school is a mixed, non-religious secondary in Enfield with a capacity of 1,400 but currently housing just 848 pupils, so there is room to grow. The most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2022, rated the school Good across all categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. That is consistent with its previous 2013 inspection, which also rated overall effectiveness as Good.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
5 Oct 2022Source: Ofsted, 21 Nov 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 15:20
Source: leavalley.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About The Lea Valley Academy
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
School Admissions Timeline 2026/27
Key dates for primary, secondary and nursery applications